FCC ruling brings e-Rate funding to more applicants

Several hundred more e-Rate applicants will get funding for the wiring, routers, switches, servers, and other equipment needed to bring high-speed Internet access into classrooms, thanks to a decision from the Federal Communications Commission.

Granting a petition from e-Rate consulting firm Funds For Learning (FFL), the FCC on Aug. 22 directed the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC), the agency that administers the e-Rate, to issue funding commitments for these so-called Priority Two services at the 80-percent discount level for funding year 2010. On its own motion, the FCC also reversed its previous decision to deny Priority Two funding below the 80-percent discount level and directed USAC to make available funds for Priority Two requests at all discount levels. That means all 2010 e-Rate applicants whose requests are eligible for e-Rate discounts will receive funding—marking only the second time in the program’s 14-year history that USAC will be able to fund internal connections for all eligible applicants.